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| x   x x x   x   x  x  xx  xxx xxx  xxx                   |
| xx xx x xx xx   xx x x  x  x  x   x       Issue #12      |
| x x x x x x x   x xx x  x  x  xx   xxx                   |
| x   x x x   x   x  x x  x  x  x       x   05-06/85       |
| x   x x x   x   x  x  xx   x  xxx  xxx                   |
|                                                          |
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|    Newspaper of the Maoist Internationalist Movement     |
*----------------------------------------------------------*


[dated sometime mid-May to June 1985]
   
   CIA ADMITS BOMBING ROLE IN BEIRUT: OVER 80 MADE IN USA 
DEATHS
   "A car bombing in a Beirut suburb that kileed more than 80 
people on March 8 was carried out by people hired by a 
Lebanese counterterrorism unit that had been working with the 
Central Intelligence Agency, Congressional and Administration 
sources said today." (NYTimes, 5/13/85, A1) The State 
Department took its standard position of no comment on 
intelligence matters. The CIA denied its role. (NYTimes, 
5/14/85)
   The target of the operation escaped. This led to 
questioning from Senator Patrick Leahy. "It's almost a 
Keystone Cops type of action. There is nothing to deter 
terrorists if they see us kind of bumbling around."
   The CIA bombing raises several issues. First, who are the 
real terrorists in Lebanon? The CIA trained one Lebanese 
group which hired another which attacked another. The CIA had 
knowledge of the bombing plans. Once completed, Reagan 
ordered the CIA to cut back its contacts and operations. 
Thus, the CIA covered its tracks much the way a criminal 
does.
   Secondly, Senator Leahy raises the question of competence. 
Is the issue here really how well the CIA murders Lebanese 
people? Rather than questioning the Mid-East role of the 
U.S., Leahy and liberals are apt to criticize the 
inefficiency of the murders.
   When the bombing first occurred Lebanese put up a huge 
sign that said "Made in the USA" over the bombed out space of 
the building. The U.S. Administration considered pulling out 
its diplomatic corps at that time because "these things have 
a funny way of tracing themselves back to us."
   
   PHILIPPINES GETS FASCIST STYLE JUSTICE
   Plainclothes police roam the streets of Manila. In the 
last week they have accused, judged and executed at least 14 
people. The government hired thugs are justified as a 
crackdown on crime. Should there be charges of arbitrary 
"justice," the police are also assigned to investigate 
themselves. (NYTimes, 5/13/85, A3)
   Meanwhile, Philippino witnesses testified that they saw 
govern- ment troops shoot Aquino--the leader of the bourgeois 
opposition. Having suspended Chief of Staff Gen. Fabian Ver 
in connection with the turmoil, dictator Marcos claims that 
"the Philippines does not want to appear to be the pet dog of 
any western power." (Iran in Resistance, Jan-Feb. 1985, 11) 
In other words, since it is the U.S. pushing for a shakeup in 
connection with the Aquino assassination, Marcos is going to 
rally nationalism to his side against U.S. attempts to 
replace or prettify Marcos. As Marcos is increasingly exposed 
in the murder investigation, he has no choice but to claim 
communist and American subversion.
   
   DENG'S CHINA MAKES SECRET MILITARY TIES TO ISRAEL
   Jane's Defense Weekly revealed that China and Israel have 
secret military relations and signed agreements worth over $3 
billion. (Iran in Resistance, Jan-Feb. 1985, 11)
   China needs the secrecy because of its posturing in favor 
of the Palestinian cause. Diplomatically, China would be hurt 
by world opinion if it openly tied itself to Israel.
   At the same time, Israel has ties to China's enemy--
Taiwan's government. Although China has softened its stance 
towards Taiwan in the hope of reunification at the price of 
leaving Taiwan as it is--a capitalist and independent 
economy--Taiwan maintains a hard line against China.
   
   ETHIOPIA ADMITS STARVING TIGRAY
   A report of the Ethiopian Relief and Rehabilitation 
Commission admits that 78% of Tigray's people receive no 
relief aid because they are beyond the reach of the Ethiopian 
government. Tigray is a colony of Ethiopia. The Tigray 
People's Liberation Front (TPLF) controls areas that the 
Ethiopian government wishes to starve out or ignore. (Adulis, 
March 1985, 13) Money to aid 1.5 million drought-affected 
people unreached by the Ethiopian regime in Eritrea, which is 
another Ethiopian colony bordering the Tigray, can be sent 
to:
   ERITREAN RELIEF COMM., INC., PO BOX 1180, GRAND CENTRAL 
STATION, NY, NY 10163. Donors should also send us news of 
their donation so that we might publish the anonymous results 
of the campaign to aid the Eritreans. Donations are tax-
deductible.
   
   GM AND CHRYSLER BEAT THE JAPANESE ADVANTAGE
   "If you can't beat'em, join 'em." When profits are at 
stake, the corporations push for tariffs and employee and 
consumer loyalty. When the capitalists can not win this way, 
they can try to invest in the winners.
   A threatening Chrysler lobbyist explained to the House 
Ways and Means Committee: "Up to this moment, Chrysler has 
been advocating a freeze for ourselves and other importers of 
Japanese vehicles at current levels. However, given the 
running rules dictated by GM and the administration, it is 
now clear that Chrysler will have to make the hard choice of 
adopting a parallel "Far East strategy" of its own. It's 
apparent to us that GM wants a lion's share of the auto trade 
deficit. Well, I'm here to say that Chrysler is forced to 
demand its share of the trade deficit, too." Now Chrysler is 
not demanding tariff protection against Japanese imports. It 
just wants a share of the car part imports. By importing 
Japanese parts and putting an American label on them, the 
Americans can share in the exploitation of Japanese and other 
foreign labor. Chrysler need not "save American jobs" to make 
a profit.
   
   PHILADELPHIA POLICE FIREBOMB 60 HOUSES
   Using what they called an "incendiary device," 
Philadelphia police attacked a house of an apparently armed 
group called MOVE. The fire spread to up to 60 houses in the 
neighborhood.
   Why did the Philadelphia police start a shootout and then 
bomb the MOVE group? "A number of neighbors complained that 
the house is infested with rats and roaches. Some nearby 
residents alleged that members of the group have beaten 
several neighbors. The neighborshood's anger was aggravated 
last year when MOVE members blocked residents' access to an 
alley behind their house by building an animal shelter." 
(NYTimes, 5/14/85, A1, A16) The neighbors also mentioned 
electric bullhorns and political lectures from the MOVE group 
as disturbing. Other than this, the mayor gave no real reason 
to evict the group, not to mention bomb it. The mayor said 
the group was bent on violent confrontation, but did not say 
that the house members had engaged in violence before the 
police shootout and bombing; although, the media harped on 
the death of a policeman involving different MOVE members in 
1978 in a similar (but undetailed in the media) shootout. An 
assistant to a city councilman who took part in the police 
raid justified the bombing by saying "they've said they're 
willing to die for whatever happens." Furthermore, "this is a 
group of people whose philosophy is based on conflict and 
confrontation." (Ibid., A16)The lying rationalizations came 
to be exposed when police simultaneously raided another MOVE 
home in Chester, PA. One woman and six children were taken 
into custody. USA Today did not find it necessary to give any 
reason for the teargassing and arrest of the second MOVE 
home. (USA Today, 5/14/85, 1)
   The same neighbors who were cited as rationalization for 
the Philadelphia bombing had second thoughts. Indeed, 
bystanders witnessing the assault chanted "Murderers!" while 
the police carried out their operations. Others complained 
"It's not fair for the whole neighborhood to be destroyed." 
"This is a travesty." "This is not what we expected when we 
elected Wilson Goode mayor--bombs, houses burning." (USA 
Today, 5/14/85, 3A) 60 homes were completely ruined by the 
bomb.
   ADDENDUM: The New York Times backed off its description of 
the bomb as an "incendiary device" and left open the nature 
of the weapon. (p. B9) It still at least said that the bomb 
caused the fire, despite convenient rumors that arose after 
the fire that the MOVE group poured gasoline on its house or 
stored gas on the roof.
   So far six dead bodies have been found. At least two were 
children. At least three were in the basement of the 
building. (USA Today, 5/15/85, 1) While three armed men 
escaped the police cordon, it appears so far that the only 
victims have been women, children and neighbors.
   
   ONE TRILLION SPENT ON MILITARY IN FOUR YEARS
   $1,007,900,000,000 have been spent in the last four years 
on the military. The Defense Department's own figures show 
that this spending is only matched in the post-WWII era by 
the Korean war in real dollar terms. The spending surpasses 
that of the Vietnam era, which shows that the U.S. ruling 
class has more use for its military now than during the 
1960s. (NYTimes, 5/14/85, A1, A20) What the Defense 
Department of course neglected to relay to the public is that 
the U.S. is already involved in WWIII by proxy around the 
world--e.g. Beirut, the contras in Nicaragua, the support of 
the South African colonial regime against the native people 
etc.As usual the media's discussion of the Defense budget is 
narrowly conceived in terms of efficiency and not purpose. 
General Electric Corporation has been scapegoated to the tune 
of a $1.04 million fine and $800,000 restitution for fraud. 
(NYTimes, 5/14/85, A1) Clearly militarism is "worth it" for 
American corporations who profit from war hysteria. The only 
problem that the NYTimes and the liberals have with military 
spending is that it is too wasteful. The liberals champion 
the cause of getting the warmakers to make smaller profits 
and better bombs. According to the NYTimes, the problem is 
not the profit-system, just that GE is fraudulent and 
inefficient. "The biggest peacetime military buildup in 
modern American history is coming to an end, and the nation 
is asking whether it has been getting its money's worth." 
("As Arms Buildup Eases, U.S. Tries to Take Stock," 5/14/85, 
A1) Lest anyone take the New York Times seriously, the talk 
in the capital is still to increase the military budget at a 
3% real annual rate. At best, the government will freeze the 
military budget at its current wartime level while using up 
$280 billion in past appropriations that the Pentagon could 
not even manage to spend yet. (Ibid., A20)